Lokei stared as the older figure crushed through the wooden wall and there was a moment of absolute silence. Lokei slowly lowered his staff.
"....That actually worked?"
There was a loud crash coming from the other side. The older figure emerged from the wreckage brushing off the dust from his clothing. Lokei's smile vanished instantly.
"Of course."
The older figure cracked his neck.
"You actually hit me."
Lokei tightened his grip on the staff.
"Yea. So, maybe we can talk about this?"
The older figure stared at him.
"No."
Lokei sighed.
"I had to try."
He raised his staff again.
Elsewhere Zi Zan stood completely motionless. The masked figure stood several meters away and stared at him in silence, unmoving. The silence was more suffocating than the clash of martial arts that had echoed throughout the Heishi.
"You're not one of them."
The masked figure tilted his head as he vanished.
Zi Zan's eyes widened.
"Fast."
The masked figure appeared directly in front of him and threw a straight punch but Zi Zan simply tilted his head and the punch just missed his cheek. He responded quickly with a short elbow aimed at the figure's ribs. He twisted his body as the elbow passed him then drove his knee up but Zi Zan caught his leg and pulled.
The masked figure used the momentum to rotate through the air freeing his leg when his feet touched the floor he planted his hands down in a spinning fashion. Zi Zan raised his forearm as the masked figure's spinning kick sent a shockwave up his arm forcing him back. Then the masked figure charged forward going for a jab cross and a hook.
Zi Zan slipped each punch easily as he danced around the masked figure's attacks with careful footwork, a low kick came at his legs aiming to stop him but he checked it with his shin. The masked figure suddenly changed levels and drove a body shot at Zi Zan. He lowered his elbow blocking the attack, the masked figure suddenly grabbed Zi Zan's wrist and twisted.
He rotated with the force instead of resisting the rotation and stepped in going for a shoulder throw. The masked figure flew off the floor but before Zi Zan could follow up he swept the masked figure's leg. Zi Zan jumped and the masked figure was right behind him rising smoothly to his feet. The two were nose to nose again, neither moving for the moment.
They both charged at each other and their fists collided. Zi Zan followed through with a palm strike but the masked figure parried the blow. The masked figure twisted and struck with his other leg, Zi Zan released the first leg and stumbled back.
The masked figure closed the distance and a rapid barrage of punches forced Zi Zan to retreat. A final straight punch came at his chest but Zi Zan twisted out of the way. The punch missed but he caught the masked figure's arm and pulled him forward. A knee to the ribs sent the masked figure staggering back.
Zi Zan stepped forward and went for a short hook but the masked figure appeared behind him. Zi Zan turned but it was too late as a spinning heel kick came at his head. He ducked under it and the masked figure's foot passed over him.
He surged forward and a shoulder tackle sent both of them crashing through a wooden table. The two figures slowly rose, their breathing still measured and calm.
Zi Zan lowered his stance.
Neither one of them drew their Seijinism, neither one drew a weapon as they charged at each other again. The two continued to clash. Every movement was met with another. The masked figure's movements were efficient and calculated. He did not waste a single move. Zi Zan blocked another strike and slid back but his eyes narrowed.
Something was off.
That fighting style — he had seen it before. The masked figure charged again, going for a jab but Zi Zan slipped past it. His eyes remained on the masked figure. The footwork, the timing, and how he shifted his weight before every strike.
It was more than just familiar.
Zi Zan knew this style, but from where?
The masked figure suddenly lunged forward. Zi Zan raised his hand and a massive golden wall erupted from the ground between them, and the incoming attack slammed against it.
The masked figure immediately pulled back then he attacked again. Zi Zan did not move. The masked figure's fist came towards the wall. A split second before impact, Zi Zan's eyes widened. It finally clicked, his eyes softened. The masked figure broke through the opening and swept another strike. Zi Zan simply looked at him.
"Anyu."
The masked figure froze, eyes widened beneath his mask.
"Wait... Zan?"
Zi Zan stared at him for a moment then he smiled.
"Yeah."
The masked figure slowly lowered his hands.
"...Is that really you?"
Zi Zan nodded.
"It is."
The masked figure reached up, his fingers grasping the edge of his mask. He pulled it away, long light green hair spilling around his face, revealing the familiar features of Anyu Feng.
Zi Zan stared at him and for a moment neither of them said anything then Zi Zan's smile grew.
"Anyu."
Anyu Feng looked at him, a small smile forming on his face.
"Been a long time."
Zi Zan stepped forward, the two old friends clasped each other's forearms. Their reunion was simple but it had so much history between them.
For a brief moment Zi Zan's mind went back to the past. A younger Zi Zan stood beside Anyu. Su Qing was in front of them, wooden sword over his shoulder, the three of them laughing under the shade of an old tree.
Another memory.
The Sapphire Wolves stood together after an exhausting journey, tired but smiling. Anyu had an arm around Zi Zan's shoulder. Su Qing stood beside them, shaking his head at their childish behavior. They weren't brothers by blood but they had fought together, trained together, travelled together and protected one another. They had become family.
Zi Zan looked at Anyu once more, his old friend was standing right in front of him, alive, after all those years and for the first time since entering Heishi Zi Zan looked genuinely happy, the two finally released each other's arms.
Zi Zan gave a thoughtful look at Anyu.
"Alright, so you're here. Where were you all this time? Why the mask, were you following us?"
Anyu gave a cold stare.
"Calm down with the questions. You know I hate questions."
Zi Zan nodded.
"Right."
He took a step back and crossed his arms.
"Go on."
Anyu shook his head.
"I've been busy. I've been helping out where I could but not the hero type, that's for sure. We all hate that."
Zi Zan nodded.
"Volunteering."
"Exactly."
Anyu leaned against the wall.
"You know I specialize in healing so I travel around, looking for medical centers that could use a hand."
Zi Zan smiled.
"That sounds like you."
Anyu shrugged.
"It's not that interesting."
"You never cared for interesting things."
"True."
Anyu looked towards the entrance to the storehouse.
"As for why I'm here, I heard that there was an item being auctioned here. I was given the chance to get it back."
Zi Zan already knew what he meant. He stared at Anyu for a moment.
"Let me guess, the Armada, right?"
Anyu's expression changed.
"How the hell do you know about that?"
Zi Zan sighed.
"It pains me to say this... But I work for the Armada. After we split up, one of the higher-ups in the Armada came to me and asked if I wanted to work with them."
He looked down for a moment.
"I agreed, since back then, I didn't have anywhere to go." Zi Zan said as he gave a small shrug. "In time, things changed. I gradually worked my way up until I became one of their leading commanders and I even have my own squad."
Anyu's eyes widened.
"You're a commander?"
Zi Zan nodded. Anyu opened his mouth, then closed it. He clearly had several more questions, but he glanced towards the damaged entrance.
"...Not the right time."
Zi Zan smiled. Anyu returned the smile.
"Well, since we're both here for official business, how about we work together, like old times?"
Zi Zan looked at his hand then shook it.
"Like old times."
The two turned towards the door. Zi Zan's expression suddenly changed.
"Wait, you remember Yunso, right?"
Anyu nodded.
"Of course."
Zi Zan looked towards the door.
"I actually brought him with me."
Anyu froze, his eyes widened, mouth dropping open.
Sun Yunso continued running through the corridors of Heishi, another group of guards came running towards him, but he paid no mind.
Without slowing his pace he slashed the air, one by one, the guards dropped to the floor behind him as Yunso ran on, his face a mask of cold determination. He had long forgotten how many guards he had encountered.
Sun Yunso halted abruptly and turned around, his eyes widening in confusion.
'Where is it..?'
He looked down one corridor, then the other. He had no idea where he was because the Heishi was much larger than he had thought.
Sun Yunso sighed.
'Guess I'll have to search every nook and cranny. Hopefully Zi Zan and Lokei already found the place we're looking for.' He thought.
He didn't exactly want to spend any more time exploring the place and if they had already found the storehouse by now then there was a high chance they could easily find anything else before he even got there while Chu Runar and Sa Wayong held everyone off at the center.
They just needed to hold out until the others arrived.
That was all he needed. Sun Yunso trusted his friends. He was just about to head down another hallway when suddenly a blood curdling scream came from somewhere down the building.
"RUN AWAY, OR YOU'LL DIE!"
Sun Yunso's eyes narrowed slightly, his grip on his sword tightening, but this wasn't a guard's cry for help. It was not the panicked wail of some unlucky sentinel who had encountered an assassin in the dead of night.
This was the voice of someone who had been betrayed, someone who had heard the whisper of steel against leather and the gasp of air escaping a mortal's lungs as life had fled with it.
Sun Yunso's body tensed as he turned towards the source of the scream, and something loose in his shoulders and spine seemed to ease.
Whatever it was, it was coming towards him, and it was fast. Sun Yunso narrowed his eyes as he stared into the darkness of the hallway.
"...What is that?"
And so, after a moment of tense waiting, there came a sound, a soft swish of steel, then the woman stepped through the doorway, her guards' bodies lying on the ground motionless, her blade dripping and dark with blood before she slid it back into its sheath.
The young woman looked down at her hands, making sure there wasn't a single spot of it before letting out a sigh of relief.
Sun Yunso stared at the woman who stood before him.
Jet-black hair and unusual light green eyes, the two were very different from most of the people Sun Yunso had seen in Nasura and Meizou. In fact, she reminded him most of Lokei.
'Is she from Yokai City or some other place..?'
There were too many questions left unasked but it was not the time to ponder over such things, whatever answers he needed, he would find them soon enough.
The young woman looked at Sun Yunso. She had a slight look of confusion before her hand went to the hilt of her sword.
Sun Yunso immediately realized.
She gripped the weapon.
Sun Yunso's stance changed. He was prepared for what was to come next.
The woman suddenly moved and closed the distance between us in an instant. Sun Yunso prepared for an attack but she stopped and looked him in the eye.
"Do you know a brat by the name of Huo Shuzoh?"
Sun Yunso looked at her.
"What do you mean by that?"
The woman looked slightly annoyed.
"Don't answer a question with a question. Just answer me. Do you know the guy?"
Sun Yunso stayed silent.
Should he tell her, or act like he knew nothing about it in the first place? He didn't understand why she was looking for Huo Shuzoh in the first place.
Was it personal? Did she have some kind of connection to him, or something was going on behind the scenes?
It hit him.
Back at the medical center, his conversation with Lokei and Runar. The organization they had mentioned.
The Armada.
They had said Huo Shuzoh may be their target. Sun Yunso looked at the woman again.
'Is she... Part of the Armada?'
Sun Yunso looked at the young woman. His voice had sudden confidence when he spoke.
"What if I know him? What does that have to do with you?"
The young woman's expression changed.
She obviously hadn't expected that tone of voice to come out of him.
It irritated her.
She tightened her grip on her sword.
"I'm lookin’ for him. He's done something bad and needs to be detained. That's why I asked you."
Sun Yunso stayed calm.
"Well, sorry to say, but I don't know him. And if I did know him, why would I tell someone I don't even know anything about him?"
The woman's expression twitched. She looked away with a quiet sigh.
"Whatever. Since we're apparently going to be standing here for a while. My name is Mischa Chikae."
Sun Yunso said nothing, he just stared at her.
Mischa raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you going to give me your name?"
Sun Yunso remained silent for a moment before he finally replied.
"Sun Yunso."
Mischa repeated to herself.
"Sun…"
It felt oddly familiar, that surname. She frowned slightly, trying to recall where she had heard it before. A moment later, she shrugged it off, figuring there was nothing particular about it.
Back to business, Mischa turned her attention to the young man before her.
"Alright then, Sun Yunso. I shall ask once more. Do you know where Huo Shuzoh is?"
Sun Yunso looked at her evenly.
"Yeah. I do."
"Then tell me where he is!"
Sun Yunso said nothing at first, instead, he just gave her a sidelong glance.
"But before that, I must ask as well… What exactly did he do?"
Mischa gave him a strange look. Yunso, however, kept his expression completely neutral. After all, he already knew what the 'bad thing' Huo Shuzoh had done. It had something to do with the commotion at the Guo Family's wedding along with himself, Lokei and Gun Shenin. Still, there would be no need for him to expose what he knew, especially if Mischa was in fact searching for Huo Shuzoh.
Mischa frowned.
"Are you saying that you do not know?"
"I never said that."
"Then why are you asking?"
"Because I want to know, what exactly do you accuse him of?"
Mischa clicked her tongue in irritation.
"You're really annoying."
Sun Yunso said nothing, giving her a simple stare.
"That information is classified. You cannot know about it, all you have to know is that he committed a 'bad thing' and needs to be brought down. That is all."
Sun Yunso gazed at her intensely, and with that remark, his suspicions were confirmed, that one single remark was enough for him to understand.
She was part of The Armada.
Her words had confirmed it. The way she referred to the incident at the hospital, as well as the organization's hunt for Huo Shuzoh.
Now there was only one thing left to find out. Was she part of Koga Black Ops, or merely an agent of The Armada? Perhaps both?
Fortunately for Sun Yunso, he knew precisely how to find out.
"If you want to know where he is," Yunso said calmly, "then I'm actually raiding this auction with him. He is helping me to recover an item that belonged to my master. You will be able to find him inside this very auction house."
Mischa blinked, her expression nearly dumbfounded.
"Is that so…"
She gave Sun Yunso a long, appraising look before she shrugged.
"Well then, lead me to him."
And with that, she turned around and began to walk, and Sun Yunso followed after her, a small smile forming on his face.
Now then, it would be interesting to see just who she was and with that the two continued walking through the halls of the Heishi, neither uttering a word.
It wasn't awkward, if anything, it felt as though neither of them had any interest in speaking to the other. Sun Yunso could feel the silence grow as they walked deeper into the auction house. Eventually, he decided enough was enough.
"So, can you at least tell me what Huo Shuzoh did? If I'm going to help you find him, then I should at least know the crimes he committed."
Mischa didn't even glance at him; she didn't answer him either. Sun Yunso stared at her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"Seriously?"
He decided to drop it because, for some reason, he had a feeling that if he kept badgering her, something would happen and he was in no mood to find out what.
So he said nothing, and the two continued walking through the halls of the Heishi. Sun Yunso eventually looked at Mischa again, this time taking a proper look at her, and to his surprise, she was short.
Sun Yunso wasn't particularly tall himself, but he couldn't remember ever meeting someone quite this short. Sa Wayong was short too, but at least she reached up to his neck. Mischa, on the other hand, if he were to estimate, she'd probably only reach his shoulders. Sun Yunso briefly looked down at her. He quickly looked forward again and continued walking.
As they walked through the halls, Mischa suddenly stopped. Sun Yunso noticed and stopped as well. He was a little confused, but he didn't ask as to what was wrong; he just waited. Mischa remained motionless, then her blade moved.
Suddenly, only an inch away from Yunso's right eye, Sun Yunso reacted quickly. His sword left the sheath in a flash, catching Mischa's blade before it reached him.
They stood face to face, their swords locked between them. Sun Yunso stared at her.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"For the few seconds we have walked together, I have had a feeling."
"A feeling?"
"I think you lied to me about Huo Shuzoh being in this building."
Sun Yunso stared at her for a moment, then he sighed.
"Seriously? You actually think I'm lying to you right now? After those sudden seconds you spoke of? You couldn't think harder than that? Your stupidity needs to be studied."
Mischa's expression darkened and her grip tightened, then she suddenly pushed forward. Sun Yunso barely had time to react before her blade came crashing toward him again. Their blades collided again. Sun Yunso pushed forward and swung horizontally. Mischa ducked beneath the blade and immediately countered with a thrust. Sun Yunso twisted his body aside, letting the sword pass by his shoulder and answered with a downward strike. Mischa raised her blade and blocked it.
Neither of them used their abilities; it was purely swordsmanship. Their blades continued to clash as they moved through the corridor, neither willing to give the other an opening. Sun Yunso's movements were calm and precise, every strike flowing naturally into the next, and Mischa fought differently, her movements were sharper, more aggressive, constantly trying to force Sun Yunso backward.
Sun Yunso suddenly stepped back but Mischa followed. He disappeared, not completely but fast enough that her eyes struggled to keep up. He had used Dark Flow. Black Seidan flowed through his body, enhancing his movement without changing the way he fought. His foot touched the ground and he instantly accelerated.
Mischa's eyes widened slightly as Yunso appeared at her side, and she swung, but she was already gone. Sun Yunso moved around her, his blade cutting through the space where she had been standing.
Mischa turned but Sun Yunso had already moved again. She couldn't catch him; every time she tried to follow his movements, he was already somewhere else. Sun Yunso suddenly vanished from her sight once more. Mischa didn't chase him, instead, she stopped. Her eyes focused on the corridor ahead.
She waited.
A faint movement, a shift in the air, and there she caught him. Mischa immediately stepped forward and swung her sword toward the spot. Sun Yunso reappeared directly into her attack. His eyes widened slightly as he blocked the blade. Mischa's expression remained calm.
"I can't keep up with your speed. But I don't need to."
Sun Yunso stared at her.
She had predicted where he would stop. Their blades separated and both immediately moved again.
Their blades clashed.
Sun Yunso kept on using his Dark Flow and as he kept on moving even faster. Somehow each time, Mischa was able to find him and she landed right in front of him.
Another clash, another, and another, until finally, Yunso had to take a step backwards and looked at Mischa for a while. It was useless to attack and dodge while using speed, when she could just see where he would stop. He gritted his teeth as he gripped his sword tighter. Suddenly only one possibility remained open, a full scale attack and he knew exactly what technique he had to use.
Sun Yunso lowered his stance and his face was completely unreadable.
"Moliu..." His voice was barely a whisper. "Silent Current."
He was gone. Mischa didn't move, and closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the world around her.
She could feel him, but then she felt something else.
'He's using his Seidan.'
Mischa took a deep breath.
If he was going to do that, then so would she.
Dark green Seidan flowed into her blade, and she stood her ground and waited until finally, Sun Yunso revealed himself. His blade came down on her but at the same time, she brought her own upwards.
Their blades clashed.
A dark green shockwave exploded from the point where the two swords met, sending the wall behind them to pieces; the force shattering it into numerous small parts that littered the floor. They both stood their ground. Blades still pointing at each other, Sun Yunso's eyes narrowed at Mischa, who in turn just stared right back at him.
Neither one of them lowered their swords.
Sun Yunso took a step back, taking in the sight of the destruction behind him. The wall, previously intact, was now sliced into millions of tiny pieces, littering the floor like gravel but how did her attack reach the target behind him? Their blades were locked together, he had deflected her blow. So how did the force from her strike reach the far end of the corridor?
Sun Yunso turned around to ask Mischa but she was already attacking again, her blade coming swiftly towards him. He raised his sword to parry the attack, feeling the familiar jolt run up his arms, this time nearly sending him to his backside. Mischa wasted no time; she attacked relentlessly, allowing him no breathing space. Sun Yunso's eyes narrowed in concentration as he took in each and every move that she made.
He wanted to know more about this attack of hers. Their blades crashed together repeatedly as the two of them danced through the ruined corridor. Mischa attacked furiously as Sun Yunso blocked, analyzed, and countered. At every moment, he took in all the details needed to understand her attack.
With the knowledge from their last exchange, Sun Yunso was able to figure out her attack pattern. Sun Yunso took a step to the side, the tip of Mischa's blade whizzing past his nose. Before she could capitalize on this opening, Sun Yunso was inside her defenses, the edge of his blade resting against her throat.
Mischa stopped dead in her tracks.
Sun Yunso stood behind her, his expression unreadable.
"So... why are we fighting again?"
Mischa's eyes widened in surprise at his question.
"You forgot?"
"Yes."
This was not true at all, Sun Yunso hadn't forgotten at all. He simply wanted to test her skills; more importantly, he wanted to see how she would react. Besides, there was something else he needed to ask her.
Mischa's eyes were fixed on his.
"You're unbelievable."
Sun Yunso said nothing as he continued to hold the edge of his blade to her throat.
"Now answer me. Why are you so determined to find Huo Shuzoh?"
Mischa's gaze met him for the first time since their duel had started. She was looking him in the eye. Sun Yunso was analyzing her, trying to see through her.
Mischa remained silent as he pressed the tip of his blade harder against Adam's apple, causing a small cut to appear.
A trickle of blood slowly oozed down her neck. Mischa took a glance at the cut, then simply rolled her eyes.
"It's Koga Black Ops business. No outsider is supposed to know about it."
'Bingo,' he thought.
That was the answer he wanted.
He had caught her in a lie. So she really was working for Koga Black Ops. Sun Yunso withdrew his blade from her neck, wiping it clean before sliding it back into its sheath. Mischa turned to face him but Sun Yunso said nothing.
He had gotten the answers he needed.
Sun Yunso looked at Mischa calmly.
"I lied about where Huo Shuzoh is. He's not in this auction house. Sorry about that. But now you can go. The reason you came here is not even here."
Mischa clicked her tongue.
She looked at him with clear annoyance, but then she noticed his colorless eyes. There was no hesitation in them, nor was there any uncertainty. He was telling the truth.
Now what.
She had come to Heishi to find Huo Shuzoh, but since he wasn't here, what was her plan?
Go back to the Armada headquarters and report that she had failed? Or worse, give them a false report?
Mischa was silent, Sun Yunso noted her expression and a small smile appeared on his face.
"That couldn't have been the only reason you came here. So there must have been some other assignment you were given. Or maybe someone from your organization was given one. How about you go help with that instead?"
Mischa said nothing, then she remembered something. There had been an assignment regarding the Heishi. She didn't know exactly what it had been. If it was important enough for Koga Black Ops to be involved, there had to be something to it that was worth finding.
'Maybe I can find out what it is. And take all the credit for it.'
Mischa looked at Sun Yunso again.
"Fine."
Sun Yunso kept his slight smile.
"Good choice."
Meanwhile, Lokei and the older figure sprinted through the hallway, their staffs colliding again and again.
Lokei swung from the side and the older figure blocked. He immediately countered. Lokei ducked beneath the strike and spun his staff around, forcing the older figure to step back. Neither of them gave the other a chance to breathe and eventually, they separated, both standing still, catching their breath.
Lokei rested his staff against his shoulder.
"You really are a tough nut to crack, aren't you? But I already got the gist of what kind of person you are. It was really annoying trying to figure it out at first."
He slowly pointed his staff at the older figure.
"But after fighting you... I finally figured it out. You're no secret sibling of mine. You're just a measly cloud clone made by my father."
The older figure said nothing. Lokei studied his face.
"And if I had to guess. You're the younger version of him. Probably somewhere around his twenties."
The older figure laughed.
"Wow. What a legendary discovery. Even if it took you a long time to figure it out. But yeah. You're right. I'm your father."
Lokei's expression stiffened.
"Well... Technically, just me at a younger age. I guess you already figured out the rest too."
Lokei nodded.
"They're all cloud clones. Each one is at a different age. Although one of them being a different gender is still extremely weird."
The older figure laughed again.
"Well, now that you've figured us out. I suppose it's best that I kill you."
Lokei's eyes widened.
"What—"
The older figure vanished and before Lokei could react, he appeared directly in front of him. A powerful punch struck Lokei and slammed him into the ground. Cracks spread across the floor underneath him. He was already bloodied from the attack; he almost went unconscious but managed to stop himself by gritting his teeth so hard that blood came out of his mouth as well.
'That bastard…'
Despite the impact, he managed to force himself up.
The older figure stepped towards him. Lokei suddenly planted his foot against the ground, then he swung. His kick struck the older figure and sent him flying down the corridor. Lokei steadied himself with his staff.
"Okay. Now I'm actually pissed.”